In recent years, interactive games and experiences have been developed for amusement parks to increase the engagement and enjoyment of park visitors. One example is Disney's Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom, which uses card recognition mechanics in a theme park-based interactive game/experience.
Another example is Disney's Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure, which featured interactive game/experience installations triggered through inputs from mobile devices (phones) carried by participants.
Another example is a hand-held object with a retro-reflector thereon (and which is otherwise passive (not containing any electronics)) that allows a system at amusement parks to track movements of the object and determine gestures the user makes with the object. The system can then cause certain special effects to occur based on the gesture. Such systems are very limited in the number of simultaneous users that can play and in the number and types of special effects that can be created.
It is against this background that the techniques described herein have been developed.